The English Department, last major exception to the Harvard principle of "honors candidacy for all," yielded slightly this year when it lowered the rank list requirement for junior honors candidates. The axe now falls on Group IV students and below, one group lower than in previous years.

In order to get course credit for junior honors tutorial, however, the student with Group III standing or higher must receive an honors grade on his sophomore essay. Those students who do not present both qualifications may take honors tutorial without getting course credit. Those who pass junior generals may take senior tutorial for credit.

Furthermore, the department will grade the entire year of sophomore tutorial performance. In the past, only the sophomore essay has been graded. The essay itself will now be graded by the individual's tutor instead of by an anonymous board of tutors.

The English Department continues to hold out against the Gill Plan of 1960, which proposed eliminating the distinction between honors and non-honors tutorials, thus opening tutorial and thesis work to all who were willing to make the effort. Most departments have endorsed the plan and now require only good academic standing for credit tutorial and thesis.

The English Department argued in 1960 that non-honors status provides tutorial for those unwilling to take the extra course load required for honors. It also maintained that a restricted honors program gives the recognition and further incentive merited by exceptional students.

The English Department's unique non-credit honors tutorial for juniors was therefore inaugurated. The members of this program, who lack one of the requirements for credit tutorial, do exactly the same type of work in individual tutorial as those receiving credit, but have to carry tutorial as a fifth course without credit.